Circulating miR-1, miR-133a,and miR-206 levels are increased after a half-marathon run

Abstract

Context: Circulating miRNAs are potential biomarkers that can be important molecules driving cell-to-cell communication.

Objective: To investigate circulating muscle-specific miRNAs in recreational athletes.

Materials and methods: Three miRNAs from whole plasma before and after a half-marathon were analyzed by qPCR.

Results: MiR-1, ?133a, and ?206 significantly increased after the race.

Discussion: Increased levels of miRNAs after exercise point to potential biomarkers and to the possibility of being functional players following endurance training.

Conclusion: These miRNAs are potential biomarkers of muscle damage or adaptation to exercise.     

Structural and Functional Features of Left Heart Chambers and Hemodynamic Response to Physical Exercise in Young Athletes

The study reveals the structural and functional indices of left heart chambers at rest and the hemodynamic response to the physical exercise in 194 young athletes of different ages and sexes. In the older group of young athletes, adaptation to physical exercise causing tachycardia similar to that in the younger group results in a lesser myocardial oxygen consumption per unit mass, thus revealing more efficient functioning of the heart.     

Structural and functional characteristics of the heart of professional soccer players after retirement from long-term sports activity

The structural and functional characteristics of the heart of 51 retired soccer players who ceased training 3–15 years ago are presented. A number of structural and functional signs of “athlete’s heart” detected in the subjects indicate more efficient heart functioning at rest and during exercise. The myocardium requires less oxygen per unit power of muscle work, and each gram of the myocardium of retired athletes performs more mechanical work than the myocardium of untrained subjects of the same age. This indicates long-term adaptation of the heart of retired athletes to muscle work. The heart functioning at rest and during exercise in retired athletes becomes less efficient with age, this trend being more pronounced in older former athletes than in younger ones. This is expressed in an increased oxygen consumption by the myocardium, a higher occurrence of atypical electrocardiogram patterns, age-related changes in myocardial contractility, and a decreased capacity of each gram of the myocardium for generating mechanical work.     

The role of free radical processes and redox-signalization in adaptation of the organism to changes in oxygen level

Data are presented on participation of free-radical oxygenation in development of the organism adaptation. The redox-signalization concept is discussed in the aspect of its responsibility for the initial stage of external signal transmission to the cell genetic apparatus. The pro- and antioxidant system ratio is noted as important for assessment of formation of the cell structure and the tissue resistance. A protective effect of periodic hyperoxia was shown as well as regularities of its development similar formation of adaptation to the periodic hyperoxia.     

The Functional State of Athletes Addicted to Exercises during Exercise Deprivation

The objective of this study is to identify markers of the addictive condition developing in athletes during exercise deprivation by analyzing electroencephalograms (EEGs), electromyograms (EMGs), skin temperature measurements, sympathetic nervous system activity, levels of anxiety and depression (by psychological tests). A cohort of professional football players (N = 50) voluntarily participated in the study. The athletes were tested under two test conditions: during active training sessions and during exercise deprivation (for seven days). The analyzed results have shown that the functional state of athletes with exercise addiction (due to exercise deprivation), compared with athletes showing no addictive behavior, was characterized by lower brain bioelectric activity (a decrease in the α-rhythm amplitude and power), growth in the muscular tension, increased sympathetic activity, and elevated levels of anxiety and depression. We have concluded that an athlete’s functional state during exercise deprivation is an important predictor for exercise dependence. A prolonged exercise deprivation causes intense psychophysiological changes in the body of athletes inclined to exercise addiction. The obtained results may be useful for experts in the field of sports medicine, as well as for further studies in different types of addictions.     

Genomic and phenotypic signatures of climate adaptation in an Anolis lizard

Integrated knowledge on phenotype, physiology, and genomic adaptations is required to understand the effects of climate on evolution. The functional genomic basis of organismal adaptation to changes in the abiotic environment, its phenotypic consequences, and its possible convergence across vertebrates are still understudied. In this study, we use a comparative approach to verify predicted gene functions for vertebrate thermal adaptation with observed functions underlying repeated genomic adaptations in response to elevation in the lizard Anolis cybotes. We establish a direct link between recurrently evolved phenotypes and functional genomics of altitude‐related climate adaptation in three highland and lowland populations in the Dominican Republic. We show that across vertebrates, genes contained in this interactome are expressed within the brain, the endocrine system, and during development. These results are relevant to elucidate the effect of global climate change across vertebrates and might aid in furthering insight into gene–environment relationships under disturbances to homeostasis.     

Can exercise modulate the maturation of functionally different immature tendons in the horse?

Tendons can be considered in two functional groups, those contributing to energetics of locomotion and those acting solely to position the limb. The energy-storing tendons in both human and equine athletes have a high frequency of injury with similar pathophysiology. In previous studies, high-intensity exercise appears to induce a disruption of the matrix rather than functional adaptation in adults. Here we explore the hypothesis that the introduction of controlled exercise during growth would result in an adaptive response without deleterious effects. Young horses were given a controlled exercise program similar to that previously shown to induce matrix changes in energy-storing tendons of skeletally mature animals. The tendons were assessed in relation to mechanical properties, molecular composition, and morphology. Results showed a significant increase in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) in the positional tendon but not in the energy-storing tendon. Other matrix properties and mechanical properties were not significantly changed. While the imposition of high-strain-rate exercise in immature horses failed to augment the development of the energy-storing tendon over and above that induced by normal pasture exercise, it did not induce deleterious changes, supporting an earlier introduction of athletic training in horses.     

Physiological characteristics of system quanta of athletic performance

Physiological mechanisms of muscle activity during cyclic physical exercises of various intensity, including individual maximum exercise intensity, have been studied in 30 athletes. The system quantization of behavior showed that the spectral components of heart rate variability during attainment of individual maximum exercise intensity by athletes change in different directions. An increase in the individual maximum exercise intensity is accompanied by an increase in the maximum movement pace after each system quantum of muscle activity and is performed at a lower heart rate. This increases the absolute spectral power of the EEG β₂ range, and each system quantum of physical activity induces adequate triggering of autonomic mechanisms ensuring the activity. The results of this study may be used for professional selection or development of criteria of the endurance of athletes with regard to high cyclic exercise intensities.     

Intestinal endotoxin as a universal factor of adaptation and pathogenesis of general adaptation syndrome

Intestinal endotoxin is an obligate adaptive and pathogenetic factor of general adaptation syndrome. In athletes, systemic blood endotoxin levels, regulated by the sympathoadrenal system, increase as the athletic performance is enhanced and the exercise tolerance depends on the ability of the body to consume this endotoxin and on the extent to which it is absorbed in the intestine.     

Integration of laboratory exercises in developmental biology and neurobiology courses using the Xenopus oocyte expression system

This collaborative laboratory exercise integrates two upper division laboratory courses (Developmental Biology and Neurobiology) offered to biology majors at Wake Forest University. The laboratory exercise involves the use of the Xenopus oocyte expression system to study the function of specific membrane receptors and ligand-activated channels. cDNA or mRNA for receptor proteins is injected into Xenopus oocytes. The oocytes are assayed for expression of receptor proteins and two-electrode voltage clamping is done to determine whether the expressed proteins are functional in the oocyte system. This series of laboratory exercises is innovative in its interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to undergraduate teaching, and in its use of sophisticated molecular biological and physiological techniques in the undergraduate teaching laboratory. Students learn first-hand how these techniques have been used to achieve a new level of understanding of both development and neurobiology. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 24, 353–358. Received 02 April 1999/ Accepted in revised form 10 November 1999     

Adrenal medulla and exercise training

The adrenaline release from the adrenal medulla increases during exercise, but at a given absolute work intensity the magnitude of this response is less pronounced in endurance trained vs sedentary individuals most likely due to a lower sympathetic stimulation of the adrenal medulla. However, when trained and untrained subjects are compared at identical relative work loads as well as in response to numerous non-exercise stimuli, endurance trained athletes have a higher epinephrine secretion capacity compared to sedentary individuals. This indicates a development of a so-called “sports adrenal medulla” as a result of a long term adaption of an endocrine gland to physical training. Such an adaptation is parallel to adaptations taking place in other tissues like skeletal muscle and the heart, and can be advantageous in relation to both exercise performance in the competing athlete and cause a biological rejuvenation in relation to aging. Accepted: 4 September 1997     

Thermoregulatory responses of paraplegic and able-bodied athletes at rest and during prolonged upper body exercise and passive recovery

The thermoregulatory responses of ten paraplegic (PA; T3/4-L4) and nine able-bodied (AB) upper body trained athletes were examined at rest and during prolonged arm-cranking exercise and passive recovery. Exercise was performed for 90 min at 80% peak heart rate, and at 21.5 (1.7)°C and 47.0 (7.8)% relative humidity on a Monark cycle ergometer (Ergomedic 814E) adapted for arm exercise. Mean peak oxygen uptake values for the PA and AB athlete groups were 2.12 (0.41) min⁻¹ and 3.19 (0.38) l · min⁻¹, respectively (P<0.05). At rest, there was no difference in aural temperature between groups [36.2 (0.4)°C for both groups]. However, upper body skin temperatures for the PA athletes were approximately 1.0 °C warmer than for the AB athletes, whereas lower body skin temperatures were cooler than those for the AB athletes (1.3 °C and 2.7 °C for the thigh and calf, respectively). Upper and lower body skin temperatures for the AB athletes were similar. During exercise, blood lactate peaked after 15 min of exercise for both groups [3.33 (1.26) mmol · l⁻¹ and 4.30 (1.03) mmol · l⁻¹ for the PA and AB athletes, respectively, P<0.05] and decreased throughout the remainder of the exercise period. Aural temperature increased by 0.7 (0.5)°C and 0.6 (0.4)°C for the AB and PA athletes, respectively. Calf skin temperature for the PA athletes increased during exercise by 1.4 (2.8)°C (P<0.05), whereas a decrease of 0.8 (2.0)°C (P<0.05) was observed for the AB athletes. During the first 20 min of recovery from exercise, the calf skin temperature of the AB athletes decreased further [−2.6 (1.3)°C; P<0.05]. Weight losses and changes in plasma volume were similar for both groups [0.7 (0.5) kg and 0.7 (0.4) kg; 5.4 (4.9)% and 9.7 (6.2)% for the PA and AB athletes, respectively]. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the PA athletes exhibit different thermoregulatory responses at rest and during exercise and passive recovery to those of upper body trained AB athletes. Despite this, during 90 min of arm-crank exercise in a cool environment, the PA athletes appeared to be at no greater thermal risk than the AB athletes. Accepted: 7 May 1997     

Ser49Gly and Arg389Gly polymorphisms of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">ADRB1</Emphasis> gene and endurance performance

Background  

The ADRB1 gene encodes the β1-adrenergic receptor and is thought to influence exercise capacity because of its contribution to the regulation of the cardiovascular system. The aim of the study was to determine the distribution of the ADRB1 genotypes Ser49Gly and Arg389Gly and identify the haplotypes within a group of Polish athletes to investigate the possible association between genetic polymorphisms in ADRB1 and athletic performance.     

Physical work capacity of athletes with different types of adaptation of the cardiorespiratory system

Indices of physical work capacity in athletes with different types of adaptation of the cardiorespiratory system that are engaged in various kinds of sports and have sports ranks from Master of Sports to Grade 2 have been studied. It has been shown that the highest physical work capacity is typical of athletes that have the inotropic type of adaptation, and the lowest, of athletes with the chronotropic type of adaptation. High indices of physical work capacity were recorded in athletes with the respiratory type of adaptation. Types of adaptation affect the indices of physical work capacity, and it is possible to forecast sports results on their basis.     

Effects of exercise cessation on lipids and lipoproteins in distance runners and power athletes

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of short-term exercise cessation on lipid and lipoprotein profile and insulin sensitivity in highly trained runners (n=12; mean age 19.9 years) and power athletes (n=12; mean age 24.4 years). Following 14 days of exercise cessation, running time to exhaustion and maximal oxygen uptake decreased by 9.2% and 4.8% (P < 0.05) in the runners, while in the power athletes one repetition maximum squat and bench press did not change (P>0.05). No changes occurred in body composition. Data from a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test revealed an impairment of the glycemic state in all athletes (P<0.05). In contrast, exercise cessation did not significantly (P>0.05) alter plasma levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and low density (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). No changes were observed in HDL₂, HDL_2b, and HDL₃ subfractions, LDL diameter, and qualitative LDL pattern (P>0.05). These data thus suggest that despite a decrease in insulin sensitivity, short-term exercise cessation, independent of exercise mode, was insufficient to alter plasma lipid and lipoprotein profiles in well-trained athletes.     

Charles Darwin,evolutionary physiology,and origin of life

In the first half of the 19th century investigations began in the field of comparative and ontogenetic physiology, and the publication of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin became a further stimulus for the development of problems of evolutionary physiology. The term evolutionary physiology was coined by A.N. Severtzov in 1914, in the early 1930s the USSR created laboratories for the development of problems of evolutionary physiology. In 1956 L.A. Orbeli organized the Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology (Academy of Sciences of the USSR) in Leningrad. This paper discusses the problems of physiological paleontology, principles of the evolution of functions, regularities in functional evolution, and physiologic approaches to the origin of cell and life.     

SOD2 gene polymorphism and muscle damage markers in elite athletes

Abstract

Exercise-induced oxidative stress is a state that primarily occurs in athletes involved in high-intensity sports when pro-oxidants overwhelm the antioxidant defense system to oxidize proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. During exercise, oxidative stress is linked to muscle metabolism and muscle damage, because exercise increases free radical production. The T allele of the Ala16Val (rs4880 C/T) polymorphism in the mitochondrial superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) gene has been reported to reduce SOD2 efficiency against oxidative stress. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that the SOD2 TT genotype would be underrepresented in elite athletes involved in high-intensity sports and associated with increased values of muscle and liver damage biomarkers. The study involved 2664 Caucasian (2262 Russian and 402 Polish) athletes. SOD2 genotype and allele frequencies were compared to 917 controls. Muscle and liver damage markers [creatine kinase (CK), creatinine, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP)] were examined in serum from 1444 Russian athletes. The frequency of the SOD2 TT genotype (18.6%) was significantly lower in power/strength athletes (n = 524) compared to controls (25.0%, p = 0.0076) or athletes involved in low-intensity sports (n = 180; 33.9%, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the SOD2 T allele was significantly associated with increased activity of CK (females: p = 0.0144) and creatinine level (females: p = 0.0276; males: p = 0.0135) in athletes. Our data show that the SOD2 TT genotype might be unfavorable for high-intensity athletic events.     

探讨物理治疗和功能训练在运动损伤的预防及康复中的作用

目的：探讨物理治疗和功能训练对运动损伤的预防及康复训练的作用与疗效。方法：我科在2007年10月-2011年11月对我国6950名运动员进行运动损伤调查,其中有4258名运动员患有运动损伤。随机将这4258名运动员分为观察组（2129名）和对照组（2129名）。观察组采用物理治疗及功能训练;对照组采用常规方法进行治疗及训练。比较两组者患者的治疗及训练的效果。结果：两组运动员均治愈。与治疗前相比,观察组运动员的专项运动潜力开发和专项技能战术实力得到明显提高,差异具有显著意义（P〈0.05）;与对照组相比,差异亦显著（P〈0.05）。结论：物理治疗和功能训练不仅可以预防运动损伤,还可以有效的开发运动员的潜力,提高战术实力,值得临床推广应用。     

Codon Usage in Plastid Genes Is Correlated with Context, Position Within the Gene, and Amino Acid Content

Highly expressed plastid genes display codon adaptation, which is defined as a bias toward a set of codons which are complementary to abundant tRNAs. This type of adaptation is similar to what is observed in highly expressed Escherichia coli genes and is probably the result of selection to increase translation efficiency. In the current work, the codon adaptation of plastid genes is studied with regard to three specific features that have been observed in E. coli and which may influence translation efficiency. These features are (1) a relatively low codon adaptation at the 5′ end of highly expressed genes, (2) an influence of neighboring codons on codon usage at a particular site (codon context), and (3) a correlation between the level of codon adaptation of a gene and its amino acid content. All three features are found in plastid genes. First, highly expressed plastid genes have a noticeable decrease in codon adaptation over the first 10–20 codons. Second, for the twofold degenerate NNY codon groups, highly expressed genes have an overall bias toward the NNC codon, but this is not observed when the 3′ neighboring base is a G. At these sites highly expressed genes are biased toward NNT instead of NNC. Third, plastid genes that have higher codon adaptations also tend to have an increased usage of amino acids with a high G + C content at the first two codon positions and GNN codons in particular. The correlation between codon adaptation and amino acid content exists separately for both cytosolic and membrane proteins and is not related to any obvious functional property. It is suggested that at certain sites selection discriminates between nonsynonymous codons based on translational, not functional, differences, with the result that the amino acid sequence of highly expressed proteins is partially influenced by selection for increased translation efficiency. Received: 21 July 1999 / Accepted: 5 November 1999     

Tropomyosin metabolism in muscles and its blood levels during physical exertion

Physical exercise induces phasic changes in the tropomyosin content and metabolism in muscles and its concentration in blood. The intensive catabolic processes (decrease of 14C-leicin inclusion and time of half-life) of muscle tropomyosin and its appearance in blood were shown 2-24 hours after the exercise. Intensive anabolic processes of muscle tropomyosin were found at the late period of rest (72-144 h). These results reveal the biochemical mechanism of muscle adaptation to physical exercise. Data on the tropomyosin content in blood permit recommending tropomyosin for development of the diagnostic test of functional condition of the skeletal muscle.